Since breaking out in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street in 2013, Margot Robbie has experienced a meteoric rise up to the A-list. In that decade she has been a part of films with massive budgets and micro budgets, spanning just about every genre out there. It’s an impressive filmography, and the Australian performer always steals the spotlight, even when she’s not the star of the show but rather part of an ensemble. There are few movies starring Margot Robbie that haven’t received a certain level of critical praise. And, even when the film itself doesn’t receive a litany of accolades, her performance is considered a redeeming factor.
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Listed here are some, but not all, of Robbie’s movies that every fan should check out. Just missing the cut were Focus, Z for Zachariah, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, Goodbye Christopher Robin, Mary Queen of Scots, Babylon and About Time.
Asteroid City
Like with Alfred Hitchcock or Steven Spielberg, it’s something of a rite of passage in Hollywood to work with Wes Anderson. He tends to stick with his favorite performers, e.g. Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Adrien Brody, and the like, but his cast lists are too expansive not to include a few Andersonverse newcomers as well.
In the case of Asteroid City, there was Tom Hanks, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon and Robbie. The latter’s role is brief in the film, appearing in just a few scenes as the deceased wife of Schwartzman’s Augie Steenbeck (and the actress playing said wife).
Rent Asteroid City on Amazon Video.
Barbie
The more successful half of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, Barbie was one of those movies that raised eyebrows when first announced but ultimately ended up being not just a critical and commercial success, but a genuinely important film. It was another movie that Robbie herself produced, the argument could be made it’s she who deserves the lion’s share of credit for the film’s success.
Why Robbie wasn’t nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and Gerwig wasn’t nominated for Best Director is a mystery, because they both deserved it. It was a cultural touchstone movie and, even if it gets an unnecessary sequel or three, it’s impact will remain steady as a singular event.
Stream Barbie on Max and Netflix.
The Big Short
Robbie’s role in The Big Short is just as brief as her time spent on-screen in Asteroid City, but it’s important and entertaining. Finance is a complex issue, and one way to get people to pay attention is by having Robbie in a bubble bath explaining mortgage bonds.
Having Robbie play herself was a brilliant idea and just one example of how The Big Short wanted to capture the audience’s attention and hold it. Even with such a dense topic writer/director Adam McKay and co-writer Charles Randolph found a way to make it work.
Stream The Big Short on Paramount+.
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
Birds of Prey fell victim to two factors at the box office. One was the burgeoning fear about the COVID-19 pandemic. The other was the fact it was part of the DCEU, which was losing steam at a lightning pace.
This fate was too bad, because outside The Suicide Squad it’s arguably that deceased cinematic universe’s best film. An imminently rewatchable, breezy viewing experience, it wisely gave the best part of Suicide Squad, Robbie’s Harley Quinn, center stage. But Robbie (who also served as producer) isn’t the only one who knocks her role out of the park, as Jurnee Smollett, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Messina, and Ewan McGregor are all scene-stealers.
Stream Birds of Prey on Max.
Bombshell
This tale of the downfall of former Fox News CEO chairman Roger Ailes was only a modest critical success and a financial disappointment, but it was and remains an important entry on Robbie’s filmography. There are a few assets in its corner though, with the first being the as-light-as-possible tone brought to the narrative by director Jay Roach, known primarily for his work in the comedy genre with films such as the Austin Powers trilogy, Meet the Parents, and The Campaign.
The other major factor is in the performance department. This is really Charlize Theron’s movie, who plays Megyn Kelly with razor-sharp precision and no condescension, but Robbie is no slouch as Kayla Pospisil, a composite character likely based on a few individuals.
Stream Bombshell on Prime Video.
I, Tonya
The first of two acting Oscar nominations, I, Tonya is every bit as important to Margot Robbie’s career trajectory as The Wolf of Wall Street and Suicide Squad. On one hand, her performance is the best of her career and, on the other, it was her first time sitting in the producer’s chair.
To the latter point, Robbie is the type of A-lister who very clearly takes her work seriously. She loves the art form and, when her name is on the poster, she wants the final product to align with the reasons why she signed on to begin with. Tonya Harding was not an easy individual to elicit empathy from the audience, but Robbie pulled it off.
Stream I, Tonya on Tubi.
The Legend of Tarzan
If there’s an underrated entry within Robbie’s filmography, it’s The Legend of Tarzan. Sitting at just over 30% on the Tomatometer, it’s not a film that critics particularly cared for, but by the same token it’s difficult to grasp what exactly they wanted from it. Even for non-fans of the IP it’s a pretty good time at the movies.
Released about a month before Suicide Squad, The Legend of Tarzan was the first sign that Robbie was a performer who could get audiences in seats for a blockbuster. Tarzan ultimately did much better than it could have, especially given the fact it carried a bloated $180 million budget. Unfortunately, $357 million against $180 million isn’t enough to call the film a bonafide success, but there’s precious little doubt that, were Robbie not on the poster, this niche IP feature film would have performed significantly worse.
Rent The Legend of Tarzan on Amazon Video.
Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood
Like working with Wes Anderson, starring in a Quentin Tarantino movie also serves as a rite of passage in Hollywood, and as Sharon Tate in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, Robbie gave one of her best performances to date. She brings a warmth to the role of the late performer that it’s hard to imagine any other actor replicating.
What really helps her performance as Tate soar, though, is the blatant excitement for her present and future that Robbie infuses into the character. Because the film alters the deeply unfortunate reality that occurred, the viewer can be excited right alongside her. As a whole, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood isn’t quite as strong as Pulp Fiction or Inglourious Basterds, but it’s still a more than worthy addition to Tarantino’s filmography.
Rent Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood on fuboTV.
The Suicide Squad
Even though it tanked financially, The Suicide Squad was more than enough proof that James Gunn was the exact right person to take control of DC’s cinematic future. It’s a night-and-day improvement over David Ayer’s Frankenstein’s Monster of a movie (which wasn’t entirely his fault at all). Heartfelt, energetic, and loaded with characters that are fully memorable in different ways, it’s one of the best comics adaptations ever made.
Given that Creature Commandos confirmed both The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker‘s first season as part of the DCU (hopefully the same will be done with Birds of Prey), one only hopes that the role of Harley Quinn is not recast. Robbie is perfect in the role, and as long as she’s willing to do it she should be allowed to do so.
Stream The Suicide Squad on Max.
The Wolf of Wall Street
Martin Scorsese’s stylish, visually extravagant, F-bomb-laden crime comedy The Wolf of Wall Street made Robbie an overnight sensation. Few films in cinema history have done as much for a single performer’s career and overall exposure to general audiences.
Some take issue with the pure excess of Wolf, from its runtime to the performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, but it’s still another check in the win column for Scorsese. Excess is the point, and the film conveys it well. DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort isn’t a likable character, to the point he can be hard to spend three hours with, but it’s only if he were likable that the film would have truly failed.
Stream The Wolf of Wall Street on Paramount+.
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